B Sonjica: Women’s Day in Women’s Month

10 August 2006

The Critical role of Women in our Democratic Dispensation

It is indeed an honour for me to be part of this event today to share with
you as we reflect on the achievements and challenges that women have realised
throughout the journey of fighting for democracy and unity for all South
Africans.

At the outset, I must also mention that I was humbled when I received the
invitation for me to come and talk to you about issues that affects women in
our country. We should be proud that we have a government that places the
empowerment of women at the top of its agenda. However government alone and
progressive legislation that is not backed by the involvement of women will
never be enough in advancing the total emancipation of women. In appraising
“The critical role of women in our democratic dispensation,” we surely should
salute our great stalwarts like, Dora Tamane, Lillian Ngoyi, Ida Mtwana, Rosie
Mpetha, Gladys Smith, Freda von Rheda, Ray Alexander, Albertina Sisulu, Winnie
Mandela, Cecilia Rosier and many other unsung heroines of our struggle for
their vision, leadership and sacrifices for our freedom.

I believe that we all know the history where women are coming from and the
challenges that existed then, and still exist today. Women have carved for
themselves a role as primary catalysts for protest and opposition to white
minority rule in our country. The historic march by 20 000 women to the Union
Buildings in Pretoria in 1956 can only serve to inspire us all to continue with
the struggle for the total emancipation of women and society at large. It is
not only logical but it makes political sense to change the Strydom Square and
rename it, Malibongwe Square, in tribute to the gallant marchers of 1956. What
comes to my mind now, is how we ensure that as women, we progressively work
together to address all the challenges that hinder women to enjoy the fruits
and benefits of the struggle that our great-grandmothers, grandmothers and our
mothers fought tirelessly for.

There are a number of challenges that are facing South African women. Women
bear the brunt of poverty and unemployment. Research has shown that women head
most households, but still we find women marginalised in the workplace, the
formal and informal economy. Women’s role and position in society more often
than not, is perceived within the tenuous duality of motherhood and economic
independence.

In South Africa, women constitute a large percentage of the informal
economy.
Home-based tasks, childcare, collecting firewood and water, taking care of
other dependants are all tasks that are systematically omitted in the broad
analysis of women’s contribution to the economy. This should be a challenge for
you and me, to ask ourselves, what we are doing as women to support and make a
difference in the lives of those women who are still trying to make a
difference in the lives of their families and their communities. Women
achievers should henceforth desist from slamming the door in the face of others
less privileged. We should support each other and nurture the development and
empowerment of other women.

Women are the major agricultural producers and are the most active in the
informal economy of our country, yet they represent the majority of the
illiterate and poor. They are profoundly affected by conflict and displacement.
They are at the greatest risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

However, women’s participation in the economy remains largely undervalued,
if not completely ignored, because women’s work is not easily measured by
traditional data-collection systems. The indicator most frequently used to
measure work is the rate of participation, that is, the number of economically
active men and women. But the activities that are regarded as “women’s work”
which are vital to the survival of the community such as fetching water and
growing food for the family - are not always recorded. Likewise, household
chores are not taken into account when measuring economic activity and
production. Many women therefore bear a traditional burden of unpaid work in
addition to their growing share of paid work.

In the formal economy, balancing a career and parenthood is but one of the
major hurdles for women in all career paths. There are aspects that make
balancing a career and parenthood uniquely challenging. The balance may be
especially difficult when individuals are making the transition into advancing
their careers and parenthood to flourish simultaneously. In addition, there are
stresses related to time pressures, multiple roles and incompatible
expectations, which can easily create work or family conflicts.

It is therefore important that we should acknowledge the role played by
women who are striving to do their best in the difficult and slippery realm of
formal economy. The male-dominated economy and patriarchal society that women
live in has placed many obstacles on women in their quest to advance their
careers, and improve their social status and economic plight. This has a
negative impact in the lives of women as they continuously struggle to create a
balance between work and family.

Our department, the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), as an arm of
government is committed to women empowerment through working with women groups.
We are trying to assist women who need information on the minerals and energy
sectors through workshops and information sessions organised throughout the
year in partnership with the South African Women in Mining Associations
(SAWIMA), Women in Oil and Energy of South Africa (WOESA), Women in Nuclear
South Africa (WINSA). We also collaborate with the Technology for Women in
Business (TWIB) which seeks to encourage women to use technology in their
businesses. The department is currently working on a strategy that should make
it easier for us to monitor progress as well as communicate ways of how women
can use opportunities available to them and participate in the broader economic
area of our sectors. I take this opportunity to invite all women and to
encourage other women to attend the forthcoming TWIB conference that will be
held in September this year.

I therefore appeal to women to work together and to organise others in our
communities, especially those in the rural areas. It is high time for us to
nail our mast to the sails of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for
South Africa (AsgiSA)

It is highly important for women to understand the strategies and programmes
of government. On the 10th of January 2006, a workshop that was held at the
Department of Trade and Industry (dti) campus, co-ordinated by the Presidency,
the dti and the DME managed to a larger extent to obtain women’s inputs and to
enrich AsgiSA. This is a positive way in which and how women should influence
policies, programmes and projects of government.

In preparing women for the technical world, we need to inspire and encourage
our young women and youth to focus in the fields of science. Women and girls
are severely under-represented in the sphere of science and technology
professions and in educational institutions. It goes without saying that for
Africa to meet its developmental needs more women have to be trained in science
and technology. Issues of culture and tradition must also be addressed to
change the prevalent legacy that subjugates women to discrimination on the
basis of sex, colour and class.

It is inconceivable in this day and age, that there is not a single woman
who owns a mine in our beloved country, when we have a history of mining dating
back over 100 years. Education, in general and women empowerment, in
particular, can play a crucial role in bringing about this change. There is
also the need to highlight the role of successful black women role models in
the science and technology fields.

I want to suggest the following interventions and strategies as but a few
that we could use to accelerate women’s entrance into these fields:

* support for special training projects to facilitate the entry of women
into science and technology
* development of mobilisation and enlightenment programmes
* organisation of training programmes for women workers in the non-technology
fields so they can move into technology-related jobs.

Transnational social movements cannot democratise global political life on
their own. The government alone cannot fight the power of transnational
corporations. You need to assist us to neutralise and stabilise them to keep
focus on what we want to achieve.

Transnationalism creates problems of accountability and of fairness. Just as
it is wrong for an international company or any mining company to make profit
in one country and export to another without benefiting the local communities,
it is equally wrong for the few elite women of South Africa to front for
foreign companies in name and at the expense of other women of South Africa.
Unfortunately this is the unintended consequence that creeps in when women are
not well organised to exercise good governance over their organisations and
projects. I should think that this is not the type of empowerment that we
aspire to achieve. This chicanery defeats the very policies that are aimed at
improving the lives of women.

We have to begin to realise that if we continue to work in silos, we will
not only be robbing our children of the insight and direction that has been
mapped by our government, but we would also be leading them to a world bereft
of peace, stability and development.

As women we should begin to think beyond reflecting on what we have achieved
and what we still need to achieve to what each and every one of us could do to
contribute to the development of other women.

It is about time that women begin to take charge of their lives and think
about their own mentorship programmes. It is widely understood that we learn
skills, culture and values directly from other people, in particular, from
those that we admire or to whom we can relate.

Women should take mentorship seriously as it provides opportunities to
continuously develop skills and knowledge to enhance one’s success. Although
mentoring is always discussed in terms of the work environment, it can also
have great benefits for all aspects of personal development.

Legislation and supporting policies we have today cannot on their own bring
about changes to the challenges and problems that women still experience. As
women, we need to assert ourselves and break out of gender discrimination.
Women empowerment involves awareness-raising, building of self-confidence,
expansion of choices, and involvement in decision-making and increased access
to and control over resources. These are issues that we as women have to deal
with so that we can realise the importance of supporting each other. Our doors
are open at the DME, so please use them effectively to get information on what
we are doing as a department.

This is a challenge for you and me, as I believe that as we are gathered
here, we have success stories that we could relate. We need to break the walls
that we have created around us and begin to share information with other women.
We also need to realise that we need to continuously seek information so as to
change the world for the better.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Minerals and Energy
10 August 2006